It’s been awhile since I’ve posted about my beauty favorites, and even longer since I’ve shared my favorites in a video, I thought it was due time! Today I’m sharing my current beauty favorites for springtime. These are all of the makeup, nail polish, skincare, hair and body products that I’ve been loving over the past couple of months!

Check out my current beauty favorites below, or CLICK HERE to watch the video directly in YouTube:

As the statistics (and my own personal fear) for skin cancer are on the rise, now is a better time than ever to start self-tanning. After a slew of bad experiences (streaking, missed spots, glow-in-the-dark orange skin…), I vowed never to self-tan again. I tried Mystic Tan a few years after I got over the initial terror, since it seemed pretty fool proof, but it didn’t live up to my high expectations.

Tan Towels are thin, cloth-like towelettes (somewhat like your typical Wet Wipes) that are pre-moistened with self-tanner. They come in two sizes: Full Body (9″ x 12″ sheet) and Half Body (9″ by 7″ sheet); and two formulas: Classic (for fair-to-medium skin tones) and Plus (for medium-to-dark skin tones).Tan Towel offers numerous other products as well, such as exfoliator towelettes, moisturizer, bronzer, and various kits. However, I am only going to focus on the actual Tan Towel today, as this is the only item I purchased from the brand.

I purchased the Classic Tan Towel in the Full Body size. So, prior to applying, I showered and exfoliated with a scrub specifically purposed for prepping for a self-tan (Tan Towel recommends that you avoid washing with any soaps or body washes that contain oils or creams, as they can inhibit the development of the color on your skin). I exfoliated my entire body, focusing on areas that can become a bit more dry – elbows, knees, etc.

Post-shower, I dried off completely and opened the package. The first time I did this, I was surprised at the size of the towelette and unfolded the entire thing right away. It was a little awkward to apply completely unfolded – it kept bunching up, and towards the end, much of the self-tanner that was left was around the edges. So, I recommend you keep the towelette folded, and focus on one area at a time, applying the self-tanner in circular motions, then re-folding the towelette to a more moistened area as needed. This way worked much better for me.

I also recommend you take enough time to ensure each area is completely covered, but still move quickly enough to ensure that the towelette does not dry out.

I was happy to see that the formula dried very quickly – almost right away. There was no awkward waiting in the bathroom, afraid to move a certain way and risk botching the process.

The instructions recommended that I follow with Tan Towel’s “On The Glow” moisturizer. I didn’t buy this, but I did follow with my own moisturizer (this is one of the best, and SO inexpensive!) since it is always a good idea to keep your skin moisturized when self-tanning. Well-hydrated skin helps to keep the color even, and will extend the life of your tan.

The great thing about Tan Towel is that you can never apply too much self-tanner with this product. You can go over an area a million times and it will not become a million times darker than another area. As long as you hit every area of your body with the self-tanner, you will be left with a completely even tan. It’s great, especially for those who fear self-tanning as much as I do did.

After just 2 hours, I looked like I just got back from the beach! And I was pretty freaking pale prior to using these. I started to notice fading after about 5 days, which is really great, considering the length of many self-tanning products is only a few days (Note: I did moisturize every single day!). I could have waited a full week before re-applying, but I wanted to keep the color consistent so I re-applied on the 5-day mark.

So, end result, I am thrilled with Tan Towel. My tan is tan (not orange), even (not streaky), and most importantly, I’m not damaging my skin or my health.